


Guilt

by Muffin_Fox5



Category: RWBY
Genre: Also based off V6 spoilers, The violence isn't long, it's just a quick grusome mention, so read at your own risk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 06:36:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16848979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muffin_Fox5/pseuds/Muffin_Fox5
Summary: Blake has something she needs to get off her chest.





	Guilt

Ruby may have been steadily coming into her own as a competent leader, but when it came to social interactions with other sentient beings she felt like the same wide eye fresh faced Beacon student that exploded on it’s pathway. Ruby didn’t think anything of it when Blake volunteered herself to help Ruby find a suitable trail for Bumblebee to go down, she never would have figured Blake was looking for an alone moment with the scythe-wielder.

The two had been spending the whole scout session in relative silence, only allowing the crunching of snow under their respective footwear be the only thing keeping the two from being enveloped in complete silence. It wasn’t the lingering awkward silence didn’t manage to tip Ruby off about her teammate’s shifty behavior, after all Blake had always been the quiet and stoic type so Ruby didn’t think twice about this. It wasn’t until Ruby started to notice the faunus slowing down and starting to trail behind her as she continued forward. Finally catching the warning signs that something was wrong, Ruby slowed down to a halt and looked back at her timid friend who had also ceased her steps after noticing her leader’s halt.

“Is something wrong Blake? You seem kinda…well I guess…” Unsure of what to say, Ruby just stood there scratching the back of her head as she attempted to stammer out the proper words to describe her concern for the faunus’s behavior. Thankfully for the out of place girl, Blake stepped in and broke her mini bout of silent sulking.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” Blake said, not really bothering to make any kind of eye contact with the scythe-wielder when she spoke. Confused as to what the cat faunus had done wrong, Ruby took a few cautious steps towards her faunus friends, as if scared that if she stepped to hard she would scare away the obviously guilt ridden girl. 

“I don…what do you have to be sorry for?” Ruby asked as she stopped just a foot in front of the faunus. Blake who was still maintaining her staring contest with the blanket of snow on the ground didn’t answer Ruby at first. She just grabbed one of her arms and laid her ears back as if she was waiting to get shouted at by the shorter girl in front of her. “Blake…you can talk to me.” Ruby said as softly as she could, speaking so low that if it weren’t for Blake’s faunus ear’s she may not have heard the girl’s words. “You know that right?” 

“Back at Burnswick you…I…” It was clear that going back to that house of horrors was a taxing action for the faunus, so Ruby reached out and lightly grabbed the faunus’s hand and placed it gently in the palm of her own. She then covered the girl’s hand with her other hand, making sure to be as gentle with the guilty girl as she could while still making sure Blake could feel her comforting presence. While the book-worm cat girl still didn’t look the scythe-wielder in her silver-eyed face, Ruby still looked up at the pained faunus and patiently waited for the girl to find her words before uttering another word. “I…I…I nearly got you killed…” While she had been staying silent for Blake’s sake, Ruby couldn’t help but interject into Blake’s misguided apology so she could question the faunus’s reasoning.

“You nearly got me killed? I don’t…how?” Ruby asked, still keeping Blake’s hand smothered in her own. It was then that Blake broke her bout of snow gazing and finally made eye contact with her leader’s life saving silver-eyes.

“After those Apathy grimm knocked us down with that shriek, you were the only one who could still move but instead of getting Weiss and Yang out of there you came back for me.” Blake said, furiously doing her best to not let her voice crack as she held back her tears. 

“Well of course I came back for you. What was I supposed to do leave you there to die?” Ruby said while activity trying her best to keep her cool while In the midst of her friend’s asinine reasoning. 

“THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE!!” Blake shouted at her leader. While she was still visibly upset, Blake started to lightly squeeze her concerned leader’s hand as if she was afraid that Ruby was about to rip her hand away and leave the faunus behind to freeze in the snow. “You shouldn’t have risked yourself by coming back for me, those Grimm had me dead to rights and you should have taken that advantage and focused on ensuring that Weiss and Yang could have gotten out of there in one piece.” The heartless logic behind Blake’s reasoning managed to press a button that spurred Ruby’s rage at her friend’s disregard for her own safety.

“How can you even say something like that Blake!? I would never throw you away like that!!” Ruby exclaimed, still keeping Blake’s hand securely in her own. 

“I WAS BEYOND SAVING!!!” Blake snapped back, “YOU MAY HAD YOUR SILVER EYES SURE, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT ISN’T ENOUGH HUH?! WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOUR EYES DIDN’T ACTIVATE IN TIME AND THEY CHOOSE TO GO AFTER YOU INSTEAD OF ME!!?? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN…WHEN…” While Blake had been maintaining eye contact through her rant, the memory of how her petty ex-leader maimed Yang right in front of her caused the guilt ridden faunus to turn away from the furious face in front of her and blink back the tears that were threatening to leak from her own gold eyes. “…when you coming to my aid means you’ll get hurt…or…or…”

“So if I was the one at those Grimm’s mercy, and you had the strength to move you would have let me die?” Her leader’s accusatory question caused the tearing up faunus to snap her head back at the stern silver-eyed face that was staring her down. “ If I told you it was fine for that horde of Apathy to rip me apart would you turn your back on me and focus on getting Weiss and Yang out of that tunnel while I was getting my insides ripped open and spilled all over the floor? Would you turn your back on Weiss or Yang so that everyone else could live while they died?”

“OF COURSE NOT!!!” Blake shouted, finally giving into the tears that were threatening to spill out. Blake dropped down to the fluffy ground on her knees and started outright crying, still clinging onto her leader’s hand as she did. “You, Weiss, and Yang are my family. I could never leave any of you behind.” It was then that Ruby slowly lowered herself down to the ground and got on her knees along with Blake, still making sure to keep the faunus’s hand covered with her own.

“If abandoning one of us is so impossible to think of, then what makes it right for you to suggest us abandoning you?” Ruby said. Blake still kept her gaze directed down to the ground where she had put it when she dropped to the floor, she knew Ruby had a good point but the thought of her causing her leader’s death sent a deathly chill sensation through her stomach that made the snow feel almost warm in comparison.

Ruby hated to see her teammate like this she truly did, but she wasn’t sure what else she could say to help get her point across that the book loving faunus shouldn’t feel this guilt over something she had no control over. She wasn’t sure what to sat to her, but Ruby decided to take a few seconds of silence to herself and plan out her words before letting them free and potentially do more harm then good.

“Blake…you had no control over what happened back at Burnswick, and you didn’t succumb to the Apathy on purpose so you could endanger us right?” Ruby asked. Even though Blake didn’t answer, Ruby pressed on and hopped she would be able to comfort her guilt ridden friend. While she wasn’t sure if it was the right move, Ruby timidly lowered her hand and pulled the sobbing faunus in for a loose embrace. While Blake had been hesitant to let go of her hand, she ended up going along with her leader’s lead and let go of the comforting presence. While she didn’t return the hug Ruby had giving, Blake wasn’t trying to force her way out of the hug so Ruby took that as a sign she was doing an okay job so far. 

“Your life matters just as much as everyone else and I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.” Ruby finally said, “You aren’t responsible for the bad things that happen to the people you love and you don’t need to apologize for them either. We all know that…including Yang.” Ruby was worried she may have upset Blake further due to the noticeable tensing in her body at the mention of her sister’s name, but she still decided to press forward and continue her point.

“Yang doesn’t blame you for losing her arm and you shouldn’t either. She just wants you to be here and to be the friend and partner she had before her accident.” Ruby said, slowly backing away form the hug so she could get a better look at her sniffling friend’s face. It took a while, but Blake finally managed to direct her eyes up towards the warm smile that her leader was currently sending her way. “We all love you and want you to be here, so don’t ever feel responsible for the bad thins that may happen to us, just be happy and enjoy all the good moments we get to share together and focus on those okay?” Blake didn’t answer Ruby’s question, at least not verbally. The faunus threw her arms around her younger leader and let out an uncontrollable sob as she sobbed into her leader's shoulder. Ruby didn’t bother to say another word, she just closed her eyes and smiled as she returned the hug her currently sobbing friend was giving her while she gently rubbed her back just like Yang used to when Ruby would cry into the blonde brawler’s arms when she was younger. 

Even if she didn’t always have the best social tact, Ruby was glad to see that she could comfort a friend when she put her mind to it. Ruby was glad the two were apparently not in hearing distance to the rest of the group, she wanted Blake to get her guilt out of the way before the two rejoined there friends back at her sister’s motorcycle and went on their way. Ruby may not know if she would always be able to provide comfort for her friends, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try, after all just imaging all the beautiful things she would miss out on if she didn’t try ever once in a while.


End file.
